Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the 1972 book “Chess Combination as a Fine Art”, a book based on articles published in the 1950s-1960s by Kurt Richter.

Since the start of 2018, I have decided to adopt the style of only saying which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.

White to play: evaluate 1 Nf5+ Kf8

Padevski v Kolarov, Sofia 1955

Solution

Whilst the last two days’ puzzles were straightforward, today’s is anything but, and I failed to solve it: failed how to crack 1…Kf8.

I missed the lovely 2 Qg5!!, exploiting the fact that the Qd8 is tied to defending a8. Black’s best is 2…Rc8.

3 Qd8+ Rd8[] 4 Ra8 and the point is revealed: White emerges an exchange up: 4…Ke8 (or 4 …gf 5 Rd8+) 5 Rd8+ Kd8[] 6 Ra8+ skewers the Rh8.

FEN

3q3r/1pr2pk1/6p1/R2p4/3P2Q1/2n1N3/5PPP/R5K1 w – – 0 1